solarbird | Network

Posted by Dorothy Neufeld

https://www.visualcapitalist.com/the-worlds-top-companies-fueling-rd-spending-growth/

https://www.visualcapitalist.com/?p=179061

See this visualization first on the Voronoi app.

The World’s Top Companies Fueling R&D Spending Growth

This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.

Key Takeaways

Nvidia’s research and development (R&D) spending grew by 18.2% in 2023—significantly lower than the 35% rise seen in 2022.
Across the pharmaceutical sector, Eli Lilly saw the fastest R&D growth, at 29.5%.
Meanwhile, in the auto industry, Germany’s ZF Friedrichshafen outpaced Tesla in R&D expansion, growing 33.1% compared to Tesla’s 29.1%.

In 2023, global corporate R&D spending rose by 8.3% to reach $1.2 trillion.

While investment in the ICT hardware sector dropped sharply—down 50% year-over-year—it saw the most R&D spend by a wide margin. Meanwhile, the pharmaceutical sector, the second-largest by total spending, saw its R&D investment triple.

This graphic shows the top companies driving R&D spending growth, based on data from the latest WIPO Global Innovation Index.

Global Leaders in R&D Spending Growth

Below, we show the companies with the fastest R&D investment growth among the worlds’ top sectors for R&D spend.

For the analysis, data was collected from 1,700 of the world’s highest 2,500 R&D spenders in 2023.

Industry	Top 3 Companies	R&D Spending Growth Rate 2023 (%)
ICT Hardware	Nvidia	18.2
	Advanced Micro Devices	17.3
	Samsung Electronics	14.4
Software	Adobe	16.3
	Uber Technologies	13.1
	IBM	12.5
Pharmaceuticals	Eli Lilly	29.5
	Novartis	24
	Merck U.S.	21.7
Automobiles	ZF Friedrichshafen	33.1
	Tesla	29.1
	Nissan Motor	17.5
Construction/ Industrial Metals	China Energy Engineering Corporation	28.1
	Xinjiang Tianshan Cement	22.6
	China Communications Construction Company	19.4
Travel, Leisure, and Personal Goods	Trip.com Group	45.3
	Nintendo	25.9
	Airbnb	14.7
Health Care Equipment and Services	Shenzhen Mindray Bio-Medical Electronics	21.4
	B. Braun	17.7
	Edwards Lifesciences	13.4
Other	Paypal	34.5
	Petrochina	19.8
	Boeing	18.4

As we can see, Nvidia outpaced all other companies in the ICT hardware sector even as R&D spending growth slowed substantially.

Meanwhile, chipmaker Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) was not far behind, with R&D investment increasing 17.3% over the year. Ranking third in the industry was Samsung Electronics, which spent nearly $21 billion on R&D in 2023. Like Nvidia and AMD, it is investing heavily in semiconductor research.

When it comes to the pharmaceutical sector, Eli Lilly led the pack with 29.5% annual growth to reach $9.1 billion. The company stands as one of the leading pharma companies offering obesity drugs alongside Novo Nordisk. Today, pharmaceuticals dominate in R&D intensity, with spending equal to 19% of total revenue—the highest among all industries.

In the automotive industry, German supplier ZF Friedrichshafen surpassed Tesla in R&D growth, recording a 33.1% increase compared to Tesla’s 29.1%.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

To learn more about this topic from a global perspective, check out this graphic on gross R&D expenditure by country.

https://www.visualcapitalist.com/the-worlds-top-companies-fueling-rd-spending-growth/

https://www.visualcapitalist.com/?p=179061

andrewducker

"Sophia, will you pose with your brother for a photo?"

"I will, but I'm very angry about it!"
Original is here on Pixelfed.scot.

lsanderson

Severe weather hits the US hard as key forecast offices reel from Trump cuts
This year marks the first time that local NWS offices have stopped round-the-clock operations in the agency’s history
Eric Holthaus
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jul/01/severe-weather-nws-trump-cuts

And everybody sez irony is dead?
Trump threatens to set Doge on Musk as pair feud again over budget plan
Aleks Phillips
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/czdvv2qqlrqo

sonofgodzilla

Merry Christmas in July!! 🎄🎉🎁💝🍰 When was it that I started to be able to only write a certain kind of story in winter and summer? It's not that I do not love spring and autumn, yet somehow, they feel somewhat less than. I recently read The Frolic of the Beasts by Mishima which struck me as the perfect summer story in its depiction of the heat, of the sea, and of disfunction. Iwai Shunji's Fireworks, Should We See it from the Side or the Bottom? similarly feels like it evokes the unease of the warmer months, of struggling to come to terms with things, as does all of Higurashi. Maybe this is something I've trying to wrestle with for a few years now. Regardless, there is a certain kind of story that only seems to make sense in summer or winter.

Over Christmas, I wrote a lot in the early hours of the morning, more things that I could post for Write Whatever the Heck You Want Again, Courtney!, more things than I could post without alienating you, friends. In summer and winter, there's an unsettled feeling that comes over me that seems to descend from either the extreme heat or the extreme cold, and I think I might get closer to writing "true yuri" during these moments. This isn't to say I have succeeded at all, but in these seasons, I try to write matters outside of the usual nonsense that I post—or maybe I just present the themes I usually do in a way that strips them bare of their usual window dressing. Christmas is about the unwrapping, so they say. This month, I'm going to post some of that stuff, and also, presumably write a lot more. Sometimes, I think you have to push yourself to write things in a different way in order to improve so... I'm going to do that once more.

precuretokuprompt is running once again this month, the next batch of episodes for Write More Power Rangers falls at the end of the month, so I'll still do that usual things, but whilst the weather is warm, whilst the sun is high, whilst our lips still carry the taste of shaved ice and watermelon, of fruit popsicles and lollies, I thought I'd take some time out to try and articulate a now familiar sort of ennui.

Current Mood: okay
Current Location: somewhere
Current Music: Shiroishi / Golia / Fujioka / Cline - Left Eye Moon

purplecat

Two Doctor Who companion outfits for your delectation and delight! Outfits selected by a mixture of ones I, personally, like; lists on the internet; and a certain random element.

( Outfits below the Cut )

Vote for your favourite of these costumes. Use whatever criteria you please - most practical, most outrageously spacey, most of its decade!

Voting will remain open for at least a week, possibly longer!

Costume Bracket Masterlist

Images are a mixture of my own screencaps, screencaps from Lost in Time Graphics, PCJ's Whoniverse Gallery, and random Google searches.

nova_dergs posting in

otherkinnews

HowlCon attendee registration is now open!
Time sure flies - the con is only two and a half months away! So attendee registration is now open for HowlCon!

What is HowlCon?
HowlCon is a virtual camping-themed convention for alterhumans and nonhumans being hosted September 19-21, 2025! We are often so scattered across the web, we hope to serve as a gathering place for folks to meet others like themselves, make friends and generally have a good time. Our goal is to bring our community together for a weekend of fun and learning.

Register here!

The form will close a week before the con - September 12, 2025.

Also!

Panelist and artist applications have been extended to August 20

Looking for a way to engage more with the alterhuman and nonhuman community?

There's still time to register as a panelist or artist!

It's a great way to get a bunch of other critters together to do something fun - or learn something new! Make friends, share your ideas and put yourself out there.

sarajayechan

( You're about to view content that the journal owner has marked as possibly inappropriate for anyone under the age of 18. )

Current Mood: determined

sartorias

I think one or two old Mythies might still be reading here; at any rate, these old friends had been on my mind this spring. Came back to discover that they died a week apart at the end of May/beginning of June.

They met in the very early sixties at the U of Chicago, where both were studying. Robert was a bit on the spectrum; he said, and he stuck with it, he would never date anyone who couldn't read and love Lord of the Rings, which had blown him away when it came out. In retrospect I don't even know how he stumbled across it because to my later knowledge of him he didn't read fiction. Maybe he thought it was a northern saga when he stumbled on the first volume? Anyway, his field was religion and Japanese literature, and I remember him sitting in his rose garden reading copies of ancient Japanese texts for pleasure.

She was also blown away by it, but not especially by him. But he'd fallen hard for her, and when she also loved LOTR, he wasn't about to give up. They married around 1963, I think; by the time I met them in 1967, they were living in West LA, he a professor of Religious Studies at USC. They used to host many meetings of the early Mythopoeic Society; he'd disappear while she socialized with us gawky teens. She was a great role model for us; she was a scholar, married to someone who respected her brains, which was tough to find during the mid and late sixties.

I was on hand to deliver both their kids, now middle-aged. He married my spouse and me in 1980. They became Quakers later; they were firm pacifists and human rights advocates.

Time is just so relentless! But they used theirs well, living gently and kindly, always loving beauty, grace, and laughter.

iamrman posting in

scans_daily

Writer: Chuck Dixon

Pencils: Tom Lyle

Inks: Bob Smith

Lady Shiva trains Robin for the final battle against King Snake.

( Read more... )

visualcapitalist_rss_feed

Posted by Jenna Ross

https://www.visualcapitalist.com/sp/ter01-top-10-u-s-companies-by-net-income/

https://www.visualcapitalist.com/?post_type=sp&p=179368

Published

2 hours ago

July 1, 2025

Jenna Ross

Graphics & Design

Lebon Siu

A bar chart stylized as tall buildings showing that Apple has the largest net income of all U.S. companies at $100 billion.

Profit Powerhouses: The Top U.S. Companies by Net Income

Key Takeaways

Alphabet, the parent company of Google, has the largest net income of $100 billion.
Technology and financial companies dominate the list.

Collectively, the 10 most profitable U.S. companies have a total net income of $684 billion—more than the entire GDP of Belgium.

In this Markets in a Minute graphic, created in partnership with Terzo, we highlight companies with the biggest profits.

Ranking the Most Profitable Companies

Net income, which measures how much money a company has left after paying its expenses, is an important indicator of company strength.

Alphabet had the highest net income of $100 billion. From 2023 to 2024, the company’s revenue rose twice as fast as its costs.

Rank	Company	Net Income
1	Alphabet	$100B
2	Apple	$94B
3	Berkshire Hathaway	$89B
4	Microsoft	$88B
5	NVIDIA	$73B
6	Meta	$62B
7	Amazon	$59B
8	JP Morgan Chase	$58B
9	Exxon Mobil	$34B
10	Bank of America	$27B

Source: TradingView, based on the latest fiscal year.

Apple ranks as the company with the second-highest profit. In dollar terms, most of its profit comes from products like iPhones and Macs. However, services like advertising and AppleCare are nearly twice as profitable, with a 74% gross margin versus 37% for products.

Following closely behind, Berkshire Hathaway comes in third in the ranking. Helmed by Warren Buffett, the company earned most of its profit from its GEICO-led insurance business. BNSF, one of the largest railroads in North America, also contributed significantly to earnings.

Trends in Net Income Leaders

Which types of companies generate the most profit? Technology is most common in the top 10 list. Six companies are either officially categorized under the technology sector (Apple, Microsoft, and Nvidia) or have a strong technology focus (Alphabet, Meta, and Amazon).

Financial companies are also dominant, with Berkshire Hathaway, JP Morgan Chase, and Bank of America making the ranking.

Meanwhile, Exxon Mobil is the only energy company on the list.

Are you accountable for driving profit at your company?

Stay in sync with your company’s spending using Terzo’s AI-powered financial platform.

Click for Comments

Money1 week ago

Millionaire Hubs: Mapping the World’s Wealthiest Cities

New York City has the highest millionaire population globally. Which other cities attract the world’s wealthiest?
Economy2 weeks ago

Tomorrow’s Growth: GDP Projections in Key Economies

The global economy is expected to have slighter slower growth going forward. Which countries are on track to have the biggest GDP increases?
Money2 months ago

Mapped: Interest Rates by Country in 2025

The U.S. has kept their target rate the same at 4.25-4.50%. What do interest rates look like in other countries amid economic uncertainty?
Markets3 months ago

U.S. Housing Prices: Which States Are Booming or Cooling?

The national housing market saw a 4.5% rise in house prices. This graphic reveals which states had high price growth, and which didn’t.
Investor Education3 months ago

The Silent Thief: How Inflation Erodes Investment Gains

If you held a $1,000 investment from 1975-2024, this chart shows how the inflation rate can drastically reduce the value of your money.
Politics4 months ago

Trade Tug of War: America’s Largest Trade Deficits

Trump cites trade deficits—the U.S. importing more than it exports—as one reason for tariffs. Which countries represent the largest deficits?

https://www.visualcapitalist.com/sp/ter01-top-10-u-s-companies-by-net-income/

https://www.visualcapitalist.com/?post_type=sp&p=179368

visualcapitalist_rss_feed

Posted by Kayla Zhu

https://www.visualcapitalist.com/ranked-global-foreign-direct-investment-inflows-and-outflows/

https://www.visualcapitalist.com/?p=179143

See this visualization first on the Voronoi app.

Use This Visualization

Visualizing Global Foreign Direct Investment

This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.

Global foreign direct investment remained resilient in 2023, with significant capital continuing to move across borders despite geopolitical tensions and economic uncertainty.

Developed economies continued to be the key sources of investment, while certain emerging markets attracted significant inflows.

This graphic visualizes global foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows and outflows for several major countries in billions of U.S. dollars.

The data comes Citigroup and reflects figures for 2023.

U.S. Leads the World in Global FDI

Below, we show the FDI inflows and outflows for several major economies in 2023.

Country	FDI Inflows	FDI Outflows
United States	$311B	$404B
China	$163B	$148B
Singapore	$160B	$63B
Hong Kong	$113B	$104B
Brazil	$66B	$30B
Canada	$50B	$90B
France	$42B	$72B
Germany	$37B	$101B
Japan	$21B	$184B

The U.S. was by far the largest source and destination of global FDI in 2023, receiving $311 billion in inbound investments and sending $404 billion overseas.

However, recent policy changes like the America First Investment Policy, which aims to restrict outbound investments in critical technologies and strategic sectors, could significantly impact this.

The U.S. is increasingly tightening scrutiny on outbound capital flows, especially toward geopolitical rivals, while still encouraging high-value inbound investment that supports domestic priorities like clean energy and advanced manufacturing.

Currently, the European Union remains the top investor in U.S.-based enterprises, contributing 45% of all FDI inflows.

Globally, countries vary in their roles as capital exporters or recipients.

For example, Japan exports far more capital abroad than it receives, reflecting its aging domestic market and deep capital reserves

On the other end, Brazil attracts more foreign investment than it sends out, a dynamic driven by its resource-rich economy and demand for external investment in infrastructure and development.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

To learn about the U.S.’ global FDI strategy, check out this graphic that tracks FDI flows from the U.S. and China to Africa.

https://www.visualcapitalist.com/ranked-global-foreign-direct-investment-inflows-and-outflows/

https://www.visualcapitalist.com/?p=179143

runaway_stars_feed

Posted by Jay Eaton

https://www.runawaytothestars.com/comic/rtts-page-180/

https://www.runawaytothestars.com/?post_type=comic&p=1404

https://www.runawaytothestars.com/comic/rtts-page-180/

https://www.runawaytothestars.com/?post_type=comic&p=1404

lb_lee

Hey everybody, it's that time again: time to vote for which stuff gets the LiberaPay/Patreon money this month!

As always, anyone can vote (please do!), but LiberaPay and Patreon patrons get double weight for their votes. (Due to Patreon's porn purges, I really encourage you to use LiberaPay, if you get a choice.) If you want to see the blurbs for any of these works, those are here! (You can also leave your requests there; requesting a story or essay is always free!) If you don't have a DW and so can't do the poll, that's okay; just leave your vote in the comments below; anon comments are turned on.

Which works gets the money, and thus posted this month? YOU CHOOSE, readers!

Poll #33310 2025 July Fan Poll

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 6

View Respondents

Did you toss LiberaPay/Patreon money my way last month?

View Answers

Yes (my votes count double)
2 (100.0%)

What writing gets posted this month?

View Answers

Infinity Smashed: Born Lucky
2 (33.3%)

Reverend Alpert: the Traveling Exorcist
2 (33.3%)

Henchwench for Hire (F/F supervillainy)
2 (33.3%)

Rutless (trans omegaverse porno)
0 (0.0%)

Flights of Reality (the Cursed City)
0 (0.0%)

Anatomy of a Dance
0 (0.0%)

The Boy Whose Heart Is Home
1 (16.7%)

The Battleaxe and the Blood-Eater
1 (16.7%)

The Hands of a Dozen Strangers (touch essay)
3 (50.0%)

What art/comic/zine gets posted this month?

View Answers

Cult Comix
1 (20.0%)

Death Watch
2 (40.0%)

How it Was, How It Is
1 (20.0%)

2012 hospital sketchbook
1 (20.0%)

2013 Homeless Year sketchbook
0 (0.0%)

2014 AllFam sketchbook
0 (0.0%)

Blushing and Scent (Mori/Rawlin fluff)
3 (60.0%)

Red Tape Hell (disability farce)
2 (40.0%)

minoanmiss posting in

agonyaunt

[Be warned, the the main discussion of the post is s about #3, a letter about a coworker with gastric issues. At least people are being pretty good about labeling their responses. Beyond the ... details... it is fast descending into a fight between proponents and opponents of ableism. Thhs is letter #1] about the ethics of refusing service.( Read more... )

superfangirl1 posting in

scans_daily

( Read more )

althea_valara

I didn't post one of these last month, because I had been working on a secret project. I intended to finish that project in June, but it was not to be, partially due to busyness but mostly due to the fact that I am designing my own thing and ran into snags. Here's hoping I can finish in July!

(Some folks around Dreamwidth know what the secret project is; I'm keeping it secret HERE though so if you comment here, please don't give it away? Thanks!)

[click pics to embiggen]

A pivot table, showing I crafted for 40 hours in May and 32 hours in June on four projects.

[Image Description: A pivot table, showing I crafted for 40 hours in May and over 32 hours in June on four projects.]

I had hoped to finish several projects in June, not only the secret one. I did manage to finish the Capybara. It's pretty big! And it was for a Nerdopolis challenge. The theme was "Rodents", and of course I chose a Capybara because there is a capybara mount in Final Fantasy XIV, so perfect nerd cred tie-in.

A crocheted capybara, done in the African Flower technique.

[Image description: a stuffed crocheted capybara, done in the African Flower technique. It is made up of different shaped motifs crocheted together. It is largely a light brown in color with creamy white on its neck, belly, and rump.]

The Mosaic Cardi is still in process. I'm on the right front now. It's kinda a weird construction, not one I have encountered before, and I can't say I'm really enjoying it because long rows of HDC are (a) LONG, (b) boring. Can't wait until I get to the mosaic part.

The Sophie Scarf was supposed to be done this month for another Nerdopolis challenge. The theme was "How do the fine folks in your Nerdery travel?" and of course I chose the chocobo, so the scarf is yellow in color. I just, you know, ran out of time. I might finish it this month, we'll see.

Current Mood: bored

arlie

I follow a number of substack blogs, in spite of it being the worst blogging platform currently available, or at least the worst known to me. It's designed to prioritize monetization, and to that end reduce conversation between subscribers. It also was shipped incomplete, as is normal in modern software, so minus basic features - including, at the time, the ability to edit one's comments e.g. to correct typos.

The latest misfeature I've noticed is that it allows duplicate names, and has only a hidden "report" button. A response of mine was liked and commented on by a person with the identical posting name to the blog owner. The response was straight up commercial spam. "Today, I’m thrilled to share with few subscribers a promising and transformative investment opportunity. ..."

I found the report button at last while composing this message, but found it only reported to the blog author. You need to click a link in the first report form to report the spammer to substack itself.

And it appears that you can't easily do both - the ability to report goes away once you've reported it. (I used 2 windows, and composed both reports before hitting save/send on either one.)

The report-to-substack also forces a choice of specific misbehaviour - because no one, certainly not the poster in question, could possibly violate multiple TOS at the same time - "impersonation" and "spamming" in this case.

At least they *have* a report function, even if it's hidden behind a discrete three dots (horizontal) lacking tool tip, and offering different options depending on context.

haunted_cherries

( You're about to view content that the journal owner has marked as possibly inappropriate for anyone under the age of 18. )

rolanni

Thanks to Kristine Smith for the link that appears at the bottom of this dispatch, which was the first thing I saw when I opened my mail this morning.

The link is to a TED Talk about the importance of creativity, and that everyone creates -- even if it's just that nonsense song you sing to your cat, or deciding to try this instead of that in a recipe. Creation -- varying from the so-called "norm" -- is what makes us human, even more than laughter -- though that's important, too.

How can you tell that these things are important? You already know the answer to this -- Because Someone Is Trying to Take It Away From You.

How do you know your backlist isn't worthless? Because your publisher won't revert the rights. How do you know that having fun is important? Because people are shouting at you to Stop Being Frivolous. How do you know your despicable little bit of money is important? Because somebody is trying to rob you. How do you know that your voice is important? Because somebody is trying to shut you up.

Really, it's a Universal Test. If someone is trying to take something from you -- follow it back and find out why.

I gave a shout-out to the importance of fun in my Heinlein Acceptance Speech, but you can only do so much in four minutes. And I have, as I've mentioned here before, lived a life of Almost Unremitting Frivolity -- writing silly little scifi and fantasy stories; choosing a partner whose gift was making joy, and not so much with the money; indulging myself with cats, and stuffed animals, and music, and baking.

Making art is joy -- your body treats it that way. Make art for half an hour and your stress levels drop. People have been studying this -- obviously slackers who are looking for a way to justify their need to play, to make, to *have fun.*

I'll stop here and go get some breakfast while you listen to Amie McNee

doreyg

Onto chapter 2 of Master Detective Archives! This time sponsored by beta blockers, which I went on today and are already doing wonders for my anxiety.

( Read more... )

See you (hopefully, almost certainly) next week for chapter 3! I am still liking it less than Danganronpa, I think because my emotional engagement is significantly less (I’d be really sad if Yuma died, but tbh he’s the only one I’d bat an eyelid at; and while I academically subscribe to his need to get dommed in enthusiastic style, I still don’t actually ship anything yet), but it is a very competent crime game. I look forward to seeing what comes next.

Current Mood: calm

Profile

solarbird

I'm on Mastodon!

June 2025

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Page Summary

visualcapitalist_rss_feed - The World’s Top Companies Fueling R&D Spending Growth
andrewducker - Photo cross-post
lsanderson - 2025.07.01
sonofgodzilla - Natsu no Christmas!! 🎄🎉🎁💝🍰
purplecat - Costume Bracket: Round 4, Post 4
nova_dergs in otherkinnews - The time is now! HowlCon attendee registration is open
sarajayechan - Sunshine Revival #1
sartorias - Robert and Gracia Fay Ellwood
iamrman in scans_daily - Robin (1991) #4
visualcapitalist_rss_feed - Profit Powerhouses: Ranking The Top 10 U.S. Companies by Net Income
visualcapitalist_rss_feed - Ranked: Global Foreign Direct Investment Inflows and Outflows
runaway_stars_feed - Runaway to the Stars: Page 180
lb_lee - 2025 July Fan Poll
minoanmiss in agonyaunt - Ask A Manager: refusing to work for a customer for moral reasons,
superfangirl1 in scans_daily - Summer of Superman Special #1 Summer Wedding
althea_valara - Crafting Update, May and June 2025
arlie - The Latest Problem With Substack
haunted_cherries - Hello July!
rolanni - I Dare
doreyg - Master Detective Archives: Continued!

cheers, love - the cavalry's queer!

Network

The World’s Top Companies Fueling R&D Spending Growth

Key Takeaways

Global Leaders in R&D Spending Growth

Learn More on the Voronoi App

Graphics & Design

Profit Powerhouses: The Top U.S. Companies by Net Income

Key Takeaways

Ranking the Most Profitable Companies

Trends in Net Income Leaders

More from Terzo

Millionaire Hubs: Mapping the World’s Wealthiest Cities

Tomorrow’s Growth: GDP Projections in Key Economies

Mapped: Interest Rates by Country in 2025

U.S. Housing Prices: Which States Are Booming or Cooling?

The Silent Thief: How Inflation Erodes Investment Gains

Trade Tug of War: America’s Largest Trade Deficits

Subscribe

Visualizing Global Foreign Direct Investment

U.S. Leads the World in Global FDI

Learn More on the Voronoi App

Links

Page Summary